Rhapsody for the Moon
by Shadowsong1
Summary: What would a Remus be without his Romulus...or...in this case...Rhapsody...she's his twin. She falls in love with Snape of all people...who is actually a total sweetheart...and the most deep character in the series...anyway...chapters 4-7 up...
1. Prelude

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 1: Prelude  
  
"Aria, don't stop your life just because of me," Remus said, following his twin as she wandered around their room, picking up. Both twins had brown hair and gray eyes. Except for the fact that Aria's-her real name was Rhapsody, but only their parents used it-hair was more honey- brown and longer, they were exactly identical-also excepting the fact that she was about a head and a half shorter.  
  
Aria sighed. "Remus, we've been over this and over this. I'm not going anywhere they won't accept you."  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Why are you so determined to have no life, no future, just because I can't?"  
  
Aria spun around glaring up at her taller brother. "Don't ever say that, Remus. You can have a future. You just have to make your own future. And if they won't let you go to school, then I'm not going, and that's final!" With that, she stalked off. Remus sighed and put his head in his hands. It wasn't fair. Nothing was. Nothing had been since he and his sister were three. He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length brown hair. Had it really only been eight years ago? It felt like forever. Eight years ago, because he had been curious, his life-and, consequentially, his sister's-was ruined.  
  
"Remus? Are you all depressed again?" Aria asked when she came back a minute later.  
  
He jumped. "What? Oh, no, Aria, I'm not depressed."  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"No, I am not!"  
  
"Yes, you are," Aria said with one of her no-nonsense looks.  
  
"Well, maybe a little," he conceded.  
  
"Remus."  
  
He grinned sheepishly. "Well."  
  
"Remus! Rhapsody! Come down for breakfast!"  
  
"Coming, Mother!" the twins called back in unison.  
  
* * *  
  
Their father was a very serious man. Alexander Lupin was a giant of a man, with short, dirty blonde hair and the same tired gray eyes he passed along to both of his children. Their mother, Maria, had been a flamenco dancer. They had met after one of her performances and, in the way of such stories, fell in love. Maria was petite, there were tiny wrinkles at the corners of her mouth and dark eyes, and her black hair was streaked with silver.  
  
"Letters, children," Maria said.  
  
Aria choked on her orange juice. "Letters? As in, plural of letter?"  
  
Remus said bitterly.  
  
I  
  
"Yes, Rhapsody." Maria handed the twins their letters. They tore eagerly into them. Aria skimmed her letter. It was the usual first-year acceptance letter. She ran over to read over her brother's shoulder. She looked at him. He looked at her.  
  
"WE'RE GOING! WE'RE BOTH GOING!!!" they shrieked in unison.  
  
"Children!" Maria started to reprimand, then she made sense of what they were saying. "What?"  
  
"We both got accepted!" Remus said excitedly.  
  
"Oh, children." Maria gathered her twins in a hug.  
  
"C'mere you three!" Surprising his family, Alexander picked up all three of them in a bear hug.  
  
(A/N: Much hugging and kissing and crying ensues. We do not need to intrude on the family happy rituals. Jumping to Platform 9¾.)  
  
* * *  
  
Aria looked around nervously. Her parents had had to leave, so she and her brother were all alone.  
  
Not for long.  
  
"Oy, gray-eyes!" a voice shouted behind them. The two of them spun around, to see a brown-haired boy with brown eyes. "Hello.gray-eyes.honey," he said with a flirtatious grin at Aria, who ducked behind her brother for protection from this insane male.  
  
"Um.hi?"  
  
"C'mon. My friends and I need a couple people to round out the group." The psychotic boy grabbed Remus by the wrist and dragged him-and Aria, who was hanging on to Remus for dear life-to a group of three kids-a girl and two boys.  
  
"Did he scare you?" the girl asked them.  
  
"Uh.just a little." Remus answered.  
  
In response to this, the girl slapped the boy who had abducted them.  
  
"My name is Amber Potter. This," she said, gesturing at another boy, "is my twin, James."  
  
"I'm Sirius Black," put in the boy who had abducted them. "And this is Peter Pettigrew," he added, pointing to the other boy. "You two have names?"  
  
"Yeah. Remus and Rhapsody Lupin," Remus answered.  
  
"People call me Aria, though."  
  
James blinked. "Nice name," he commented, staring at Aria.  
  
"Pretty," Sirius said.  
  
"Just like you," James added.  
  
"Did I mention that my brother is the world's worst playboy?" Amber asked.  
  
"I kind of figured it out for myself." Aria answered, looking a bit stunned.  
  
"Think we've got enough now, James?" Sirius asked, still rubbing his cheek where Amber had slapped him.  
  
James surveyed the group and made a head count. "Let's see.we've got you, Amber, Remus, Aria, Peter.hey, I'm missing someone.oh, yeah.I forgot to count myself. Um.nah, we need more people. How about that redhead over there?"  
  
"Want me to grab him?" Sirius asked.  
  
"NO!" everyone else said in unison. Sirius looked hurt.  
  
"I'll go get him," Amber added, then walked off to do so. She returned a moment later, leading the boy. "Sirius, that's how you make friends. You don't abduct people!"  
  
The boy looked shocked. "What's this about abducting people?"  
  
"Sirius abducted Remus and Aria. They're those two," James said, pointing them out. "I'm James, the girl you just met is Amber, the brown- haired boy is Sirius, and that's Peter."  
  
"I see.anyway, I'm Sean O'Senwatrs. This is my sister, Sorcha," he said, gesturing to the girl who was hiding behind him.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Sean, Sorcha," James said.  
  
"Hi," Remus muttered, blushing and looking away from Sorcha. Aria, noticing this, grinned evilly.  
  
she said mockingly into her brother's mind.  
  
Remus responded, annoyed not because she was wrong.but because she was right. 


	2. Invention

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 2: Invention  
  
Aria stood nervously at the edge of the room where the first years were waiting to be Sorted. Remus was next to her, just as nervous. She knew what he was thinking-not because he told her, but because she knew how his mind worked. Will all I've done come to nothing in this moment?  
  
She glanced at the others. They didn't seem nearly as nervous as she and her brother were. Sorcha was just standing there, completely quiet and calm. The quiet part wasn't so hard to understand-she had told them on the train that she was mute. Sean wasn't as calm as his sister, but he was still far more relaxed than Aria or her brother. James and Sirius were talking. It looked like they were plotting something, but she couldn't see what. Whatever it was, Amber was also in on it. Every so often Amber would lean forward and make a suggestion. Peter looked tense, too. She didn't understand it, but there was something she didn't like about Peter. (A/N: Aria doesn't like Peter from the beginning. Don't know why, she just doesn't.)  
  
Her eyes flicked around the room. They met another boy's eyes, one she didn't know. She felt all at once hot and cold. Those dark eyes were bottomless pits. Her palms began to sweat.  
  
"What's wrong?" Remus asked her.  
  
"Wha.? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Her eyes, unbidden, flew back to those mysterious dark eyes. For some reason, she found she actually wanted to drown in those bottomless black pools. "I'm.I'm going to go around and get to know people, ok?"  
  
"Sure. I'm going to go see what James and Sirius and Amber are up to." He looked up. Aria had already disappeared into the crowd. He shook his head, knowing that something-or, in this case, someone-had distracted her enough that she had walked off without waiting for his response. That didn't happen very often.  
  
* * *  
  
Aria slipped through the crowd of nervous first years, apologizing to those she bumped into. She was heading to where she had seen those eyes. She was so intent on looking for the owner of those eyes that she walked right into a boy she didn't know.  
  
"Oh.I'm sorry," she muttered.  
  
"No problem. You ok?" the boy asked, looking down at her. Her eyes widened. This boy was the owner of those bottomless black eyes. He seemed to recognize her, too.  
  
"Uh.yeah, I'm fine." she answered, blushing.  
  
"Oh, good," the boy said, sighing slightly with relief. "What's your name?"  
  
"Aria. Aria Lupin. And you?"  
  
"Severus Snape."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," she said, blushing again.  
  
"Really, the pleasure's all mine," Severus answered, smiling and taking her hand. (A/N: I frankly don't care if he's OOC there. It works for my story.)  
  
"I'm sure," she said, smiling back at him.  
  
"First years follow me!" Professor McGonagall called. Aria and Severus jumped.  
  
"I guess I'll see you around," Aria said softly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you will," Severus answered. They held each other's gaze for a moment more. She realized he was still holding her hand. She pulled her hand away and, once again, melted into the crowd. 


	3. Song Without Words

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 3: Song Without Words  
  
The nineteen or twenty first years were all lined up at the front of the Great Hall. All seemed nervous-with the possible exception of Sorcha, who was as unruffled as always-some more than others.  
  
'I wonder what we have to do,' Remus thought at Aria.  
  
'Nothing too dangerous, I hope,' Aria thought back.  
  
"If you will all please come up when you hear your names, and put on the hat so we can know where to place you." Professor McGonagall unrolled a sheet of parchment. "Anderson, Mariah!"  
  
Remus sighed audibly in relief. "So all we have to do is put on the hat," he murmured.  
  
"Looks like it," Amber said.  
  
"Black, Sirius!"  
  
"Good luck," everyone whispered to Sirius. He grinned flippantly, and swaggered over to the stool. He made a great show of looking terrified, then sat down on the stool, looking for all the world as if he expected a lightning bolt to strike his head. There were titters from the crowd. The hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table cheered. Sirius stood up and made a very grandiose-and overdone-bow. Amber rolled her eyes. Sean was clearly fighting not to crack up. James wasn't even trying.  
  
Aria was clenching and unclenching her hands, trying with all her heart not to pace.  
  
'Whoa, chill out, Aria,' Remus said to her. 'You'll be fine.'  
  
"Lupin, Remus!"  
  
'That's me. Wish me luck!' Remus asked.  
  
'Good luck,' Aria said obediently. She watched as her brother sat nervously on the stool, the hat over his eyes. She crossed her fingers. 'Come on, come on.' she thought. 'Get yourself sorted.don't give up now, brother.' She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the hat shout "GRYFFINDOR!" She grinned at her brother. He winked and mouthed "Good luck!"  
  
"Lupin, Rhapsody!"  
  
Aria took a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing,' she said to her brother.  
  
"Hmmmm.you're an interesting puzzle.brilliant, of course.very brilliant.loyal, almost too loyal.cunning, but almost no ambition.no, Slytherin would never do.though.if you're meant for him.where to put you? Slytherin must be ruled out.almost too loyal for Hufflepuff.no, that won't work.brilliant, and brave-you have to be. It would probably kill you if I were to separate you two.it'll have to be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word to the entire hall. She breathed yet another sigh of relief, and sat down next to her brother at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Good job," Remus muttered.  
  
"Thanks, you too."  
  
All of their new friends joined Aria, Remus, and Sirius at the Gryffindor table-everyone, that is, except for Severus Snape. He went to the Slytherin table. From what she overheard the older kids telling the new Gryffindor first years, there was a traditional rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Her chances of a lasting friendship with those bottomless black eyes were nonexistent.  
  
Aria spent most of the meal pestering Sean to teach her sign language. Her musical talent and practice had gifted her with a natural ear-or, in this case, eye-for languages, so by the end of the meal, she could "say" and "hear" some simple sentences. Very simple sentences.  
  
Finally, completely stuffed and exhausted, they went to their dormitories. A prefect revealed the secret password-Dragon Booger-and they collapsed in sleep almost before they could lie down. Good night, moon. 


	4. Dirge

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 4: Dirge  
  
"Late, late, late, late." Aria murmured to herself as she jerked her brush through her hair. Four years had done very little to change her appearance. She had grown maybe three inches, and her figure was beginning to look a bit more womanly, but that was it. "REMY! IF YOU AREN'T READY IN TEN MINUTES I'M LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!" she shouted to her brother.  
  
"No, you aren't!" he called back. "And we're not that late, it's only ten."  
  
"And it takes a bloody damn hour to get to the bloody damn station!"  
  
"Why Aria!" Remus said, appearing in her door and clutching his heart as if he was having a heart attack. "Such language!"  
  
Aria threw something at him.  
  
* * *  
  
James was scanning the crowd. The transfers were coming in today, and his advances towards Aria and Sorcha were *anything* but paying off. Sorcha just gave him that *look* of hers, and even if Aria seemed interested in responding, Remus wouldn't speak to him for a week.  
  
He caught a flash of vivid red hair. He walked over to the owner of that hair.  
  
"Hi," he said, to her back, since she wasn't facing him.. "I don't believe I've seen you before. And you certainly look a bit too old to be a first year."  
  
The girl spun around. He nearly gasped aloud as brilliant green eyes met his. 'Excellent,' he thought. 'Best to take this one slow.she looks shy.'  
  
"Um. no I'm not a first year. I'm a transfer," she said.  
  
"Ah. I see." James suddenly turned around and shouted, "Hey! Sirius! Get the others and get over here! There's someone I want you to meet!" He turned back to the girl. "What's your name, anyway?"  
  
"I'm Lily Evans."  
  
"James Potter. Pleasure," he said with a sly grin.  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
The others jogged up. "Who's this?" Amber asked. 'James.behave.'  
  
James smiled. 'Of course, Amber. Don't I always? Out loud, he said. "Guys, this is Lily Evans. Lily, these are Callie and Sirius Black, my twin, Amber, Remus and Aria Lupin, Sean and Sorcha O'Senwatrs, and Peter Pettigrew."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Lily said shyly.  
  
* * *  
  
Aria lounged indolently in the common room six months later. She lay her head back, smiling as she remembered spying on Lily and James the night before. Now *that* was some involved kissing.  
  
"And what, pray tell, are *you* smiling about?" Sirius asked, extremely annoyed because he had failed a Potions test the day before.  
  
"Amber? Shall we tell him?" Aria asked without raising her head or opening her eyes.  
  
"Sorcha thinks so.Why not? We caught Lily and James making out last night."  
  
Sirius perked up considerably after hearing that. "Really? Spill."  
  
Amber opened her mouth to explain and was interrupted by an owl flying through the window. Callie caught the letter and checked the address on the front of the envelope. "Aria? It's for you.and Remus."  
  
"Remus is making up that test for McGonagall." Aria murmured.  
  
"Are you going to read it?"  
  
"Do I have to get up?"  
  
"Yes," everyone else in the common room (Sirius, Peter, Amber, Sean, and Callie.) said as one. Including Sorcha, who nodded very emphatically.  
  
Aria sighed, and pulled herself off of the chair. "All right, give it to me, please." Amber handed her the letter. Aria carefully slit open the envelope. She skimmed the letter, went very pale, and then skimmed it again. She went absolutely dead white. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted against Amber.  
  
Amber, extremely surprised by this turn of events, nearly dropped Aria. "Woah." she said. "Sorch? What's in that letter?"  
  
Sorcha leaned over, and picked up the letter. She glanced over it. She turned around and gave a sign that was something between "Oh. My. God" and "Dammit."  
  
Lily and James came downstairs. "What happened?" Lily asked. "What's wrong with Aria?"  
  
"That's what we're trying to figure out!" Amber said, exasperated.  
  
Before any more questions could be asked or answered, the portrait hole opened and Remus came in. He took in the situation with a glance. "What happened?" he whispered, going pale and gripping the doorjamb for support.  
  
Sorcha handed him the letter. He glanced at it, and sat down shakily.  
  
"Remus.?" Sean asked.  
  
Remus tossed them the letter. Amber glanced down at it. "Oh, damn," she said.  
  
"What?" James asked. He read the letter over his sister's shoulder. "Ooh. That *is* bad."  
  
There were only four words in the letter:  
  
"Your mother died yesterday." 


	5. Humoresque

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 5: Humoresque  
  
Aria pulled her hairbrush through her hair one last time. "That'll have to do," she muttered, staring disconsolately into the mirror. Despite being sixteen, she was shorter than most of the first years, and boyslim to boot.  
  
"Don't know why *you're* so agitated," Lily somehow managed to growl intelligibly through the bobby pins in her mouth. "*You're* going alone."  
  
"Exactly *why* I'm agitated," Aria said, glaring at her reflection. "James thinks you're pretty no matter what. We unclaimed ones, on the other hand, have to look our best in hopes that we find someone."  
  
"Cynical humor? From *Aria?*" Amber asked. "What is the world coming to?"  
  
"Shut up, Amber," Aria said.  
  
"Besides, Aria, it's a masquerade," Callie pointed out from where she sat, cross-legged, on her bed. "It's not like anyone will know who you are."  
  
"I'm the only blonde, boyslim midget in this school. How could someone *not* recognize me?" Aria asked. "Has anyone seen my mask?"  
  
"On your trunk," Sorcha said. Well, actually, she spared herself hand movements and pointed.  
  
Aria glared at her. "And of course *you're* ready. Why didn't the rest of us think to start at five?"  
  
"Because the rest of us don't know how to plan our time wisely," Amber said. "I'll finish that for you if you want, Lily."  
  
"Thanks," Lily said gratefully. Aria, securing her mask, sat down next to Sorcha. Callie glanced around and joined her.  
  
"Everything ready?" Aria asked.  
  
Sorcha nodded. "They shouldn't recognize each other. Sirius, being the playboy he is, will only see a pretty girl. *She'll* only see a guy she doesn't recognize-because of the mask-asking her to dance with him."  
  
"Nothing will go wrong," Callie added. "My brother *dreams* about her. And they're not exactly.clean.dreams, if you know what I mean."  
  
"CALLIE!" Aria shrieked. "Oh, *bad* mental image.*bad* mental image."  
  
"What?" Lily asked, turning her head. Amber shoved her head into the right place, growling under her breath.  
  
"B has disturbing dreams about A," Sorcha explained. "Frankly, I agree with Aria on that."  
  
Lily cringed. Amber growled.  
  
Gentlemen of the world, beware.  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: The actual dance will be in the next chapter.whether their set-up plan will work or not remains to be seen. However.there are other things in mind. 


	6. Tango

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, Callie, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 6: Tango  
  
Aria checked her mask for what must have been the millionth time.  
  
"It's *ok,* Aria. It's secure," Lily said, rolling her eyes from behind her own mask. She and James were dressed as Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor.  
  
Sorcha came down last, dressed as the Lady of the Lake. The Irish lady. Who is different from the other version.  
  
James, Remus, Sean, and Peter were waiting at the bottom of the staircase for them. James grinned at Lily, who blushed. He gallantly offered her his arm.  
  
"Someone's missing." Amber muttered. She was dressed as Morgan le Fay.  
  
Sean was dressed as Finbar of Sevenwaters, who was his distant ancestor. Remus wasn't dressed as anything-he was just wearing dress robes and a mask.  
  
"Yeah, where's Sirius?" Callie asked, doing her best to ignore Lily and James and fidgeting with her long sleeves (she was dressed as a black swan).  
  
Remus shrugged. "I don't know." 'He's downstairs, waiting for us. Nice dress, Aria.'  
  
'Thanks,' Aria said dryly. 'It's one of Mother's old dresses.'  
  
'Looks nice on you.'  
  
'Thanks.' "Shall we, then?" she asked out loud.  
  
"Sure."  
  
* * *  
  
Aria was bored. She had had great fun spying on Lily and James earlier, but there was only so much full-frontal snogging she could take seeing before she wanted to vomit. She considered escaping up to her dormitory, but decided it would be to conspicuous. So she had to suffer in silence.  
  
"Excuse me." a soft, deep, darkly elegant voice said behind her. She jumped and spun around and lost herself in bottomless black eyes.she was falling.he was dressed as a matador, and wore a black mask.  
  
"Yes?" she asked softly.  
  
"You looked lonely.I wondered if you wanted to dance."  
  
"Sure," she replied, smiling slightly. He extended his hand. She took it and followed him out onto the dance floor.  
  
* * *  
  
One and a half magical hours later, Aria wandered outside with her mysterious new friend. They sat down on a bench. He kissed her.  
  
That was something she hadn't expected. She had never been kissed, and had listened to Lily's vivid descriptions of the activity with a sort of detached interest.it sounded fascinating, but hadn't been something she had expected would happen to her.  
  
He broke the kiss. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No.nothing's wrong.you just.surprised me." she whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"No, it's all right. I just wasn't expecting." She trailed off. She was *really* making a mess of things.  
  
He sighed with relief. He ran his fingers through her hair. "You are so beautiful."  
  
"How do you know that? I'm wearing a mask," she whispered.  
  
He laughed a little. "Very true. Will you take it off, so I can see?"  
  
"That would defeat the purpose of a masquerade."  
  
"Will you tell me your name?"  
  
She smiled again. "No."  
  
"My friends are going to ask the name of the fair lady I spent almost the entire evening with. What should I tell them?"  
  
She bit her lip and thought for a moment. "Tell them.tell them you held the moon in your arms, and she might someday make you her Endymion." She kissed him very, very lightly, then vanished into the light of the half- moon.  
  
* * *  
  
(A/N: Well, there you have it! Who was her mysterious partner? We'll never know.actually, we will, but you'll have to wait for the next chapter to do so. Sorry!) 


	7. Intermezzo 1

Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, Callie, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, and Aria is mine.  
  
Author's Notes: This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me.well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister.um.yeah.  
  
Chapter 7: Intermezzo #1: Some Enchanted Evening  
  
(A/N: Bit of an explanation: the intermezzos are just random songs that fit the plot.they'll be scattered here and there.no plot, though, just the song.)  
  
Some enchanted evening  
  
You may see a stranger  
  
You may see a stranger  
  
Across a crowded room.  
  
And, somehow, you know,  
  
You know even then,  
  
That, somehow, you'll see her  
  
Again and again.  
  
Some enchanted evening  
  
Someone may be laughing.  
  
You may hear her laughing  
  
Across a crowded room.  
  
And, night after night,  
  
As strange as it seems,  
  
The sound of her laughter  
  
Will sing in your dreams.  
  
Who can explain it?  
  
Who can tell you why?  
  
Fools give you reasons,  
  
Wise men never try.  
  
Some enchanted evening,  
  
When you find your true love  
  
When you feel her call you  
  
Across a crowded room  
  
Then fly to her side  
  
And make her your own,  
  
Or all through your life  
  
You may dream all alone.  
  
Once you have found her,  
  
Never let her go.  
  
Once you have found her,  
  
Never let her go. 


	8. Caccia

**Rhapsody for the Moon  
  
Disclaimer: **Everyone except Amber, Sorcha, Sean, Callie, and Aria belongs to J.K. Rowling. Amber, Sorcha, and Sean belong to Rosethorn, Callie belongs to TheAuthoress, and Aria is mine.  
  
**Author's Notes: **This is an extremely odd plot bunny that bit me...well, it bit me in French. French is boring. Aria is Remus's twin sister...um...yeah...  
  
**Chapter 8: Caccia**  
  
Two weeks after the masquerade, the Marauders were sitting through a Care of Magical Creatures class, waiting for Professor Kettleburn to show up. Well, half of the Marauders were there...Sean, James, Sirius, and Peter had managed to land themselves in the hospital wing from a prank gone wrong. As for Remus, it was a bit of an inconvenient time.  
  
"Wonder what we're doing today," Aria muttered.  
  
"Hopefully something exciting..." Amber said. "Remember the flobberworms?"  
  
Callie shuddered. "I was trying to forget that..."  
  
"Look, you two! Here he comes!" Aria cut in, bouncing on her toes. "What does he have?"  
  
"Um..." Callie bobbed up on her toes. "Some kind of bird thing, it looks like..."  
  
"Gryphons!" Professor Kettleburn said excitedly. "Gryphons are half eagle, and half lion. They're even prouder than hippogriffs, so do not insult them...Mr. Snape, are you paying attention?"  
  
Snape looked up guiltily. The Gryffindors laughed.  
  
Aria sighed. "Don't they ever get tired of being malicious bastards?"  
  
"Nope," Amber replied. "Doubt they ever will."  
  
"All right, settle down. Who wants to come and see one?"  
  
Predictably, Lily's hand shot up.  
  
"Maybe you should give somebody else a chance to go first, Miss Evans..."  
  
Lily blushed.  
  
"Erm...Miss Lupin. Why don't you give it a go?"  
  
"Me?" Aria whispered.  
  
"Yes, of course you. You're the only 'Miss Lupin' in the class."  
  
"Ok, then..." Aria cautiously walked over to one of the gryphons and bowed. The gryphon eyed her, then bowed back. Relaxing slightly, she walked closer and began stroking it's neck. It leaned into the caress. Aria grinned. "This isn't so bad...its feathers are really soft, guys..." Suddenly, the gryphon pulled away, eyed her, then grabbed her collar and tugged her towards it.  
  
"Well, Miss Lupin! I believe he wants you to ride him!"  
  
"No kidding..." Aria said dryly, trying to find a comfortable way to sit. There was no such way.  
  
Without warning, the gryphon took off. Aria shrieked, not expecting that. She looked down, then closed her eyes. She had never gone this fast...even that time where she stole James's broom to see what it was like and almost fell off because it was going so fast. The ground was moving so fast it was sickening, but when she closed her eyes, it wasn't so bad.  
  
At least, until the gryphon banked to avoid an updraft...dropping Aria in the process.  
  
All she knew was that she was falling...falling...falling...  
  
Pain.

Severus Snape watched Aria flying with the gryphon, lounging indolently on the ground. When she fell, he wasn't quite sure how to react. He hated seeing people beaten bloody—God knew he'd seen enough of that—but she was one of the closest friends of his sworn enemy. But as long as everyone else was racing towards the Willow to see what had happened...  
  
Well, he always had been one for jumping on the bandwagon.

Professor Kettleburn whistled sharply and the gryphon flew towards him. He pulled himself up onto the gryphon's back with the aid of the rope still tied to the creature's next. "Up, up, up!" he shrieked. The gryphon flew up over the willow. Professor Kettleburn narrowed his eyes. "Damn," he whispered. She wasn't conscious. That meant he'd have to lower himself down to grab her. "Damn, damn, damn." It was risky, but it was the only way. "Miss Lupin! I know you probably can't hear me, but if, by some miracle, you regain consciousness while I'm speaking to you, I'm going to get you out of there. Kelvar," he said to the gryphon. "Don't. Move." The gryphon nodded. Professor Kettleburn took a deep breath and lowered the rope, then himself, down among the deadly branches.  
  
Amber, Lily, Callie, and Sorcha anxiously waited for Professor Kettleburn to get back down with Aria. He slowly made his way down to earth, carrying Aria. She looked like she was unconscious.  
  
"I hope she's ok..." Lily whispered.  
  
"She was dropped from fifty feet onto the Willow," Callie snapped. "Do you think she's ok?"  
  
Lily looked hurt. "Callie..."  
  
Callie sighed. "I'm sorry, Lils."  
  
"It's ok."  
  
Professor Kettleburn landed, then carefully dismounted, holding Aria as gently as he could. He looked around. "You. Mr. Snape. Take her to the hospital wing." When Snape looked like he was hesitating, the professor snapped, "Now, Mr. Snape."  
  
Severus was decidedly uncomfortable carrying the injured young woman. First of all, dislike her though he might, he didn't want to hurt her further. Second of all...well...he was only human, and Aria was attractive...even banged up as she was... (A/N: WHEE!!! Sevvy-kinns is a necrophiliac!!!!! Just like Romeo!!!)  
  
"Please..." he heard someone whisper. "Please..."  
  
He glanced down into bottomless gray eyes, filled with unspeakable pain. 'Where have I seen those eyes before?' he asked himself.  
  
"Please..." Aria whispered again. "Put...me down...I'll...pass out again..."  
  
He gently set her down on the ground. "What happened up there?"  
  
"Don't know...eyes closed...too fast...fell...hurt..." She whimpered and leaned back against the stone wall.  
  
He couldn't make much sense out of her, but that didn't matter. Suddenly, it clicked.  
  
"Tell them...tell them you held the moon in your arms...and she might someday make you her Endymion..."  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
Unable to speak, she nodded.  
  
"At...at the masquerade...did you...dance with a person dressed as a matador, and tell him that he had held the moon in his arms, and she might someday make him her Endymion?"  
  
She studied him, then slowly nodded.  
  
"God...that was me."  
  
"Damn..." she whispered, then winced. "Can't...think now...I...think...I'm...pass out...again...I'll...contact...you'll know..."  
  
She closed her eyes and sank back into the welcome darkness.  
  
"This is a tangle..." he murmured. Shaking his head, he picked her up again and kept carrying her...  
  
_"And she might someday make you her Endymion..." _


End file.
